Cat Ties by Bernard Oberdieck

Postcard ID: DE-2910944
Country: Germany

Here is one more cat cards to my cats collection :)

It's considered that ties are usually worn by men. However I also have one! A couple years ago our girl-part of collective organized a flashmob: each girl had a tie, a skirt and colored tights. Since that time I had have a tie :)

In addition to these nice cats this card contains a stamp with hedgehogs:

Just tea

Postcard ID: RU-2433105
Country: Russia

I have already written about my love to tea.

However this card with tea and window also reminds me about my trips to Chisinau. The way from Minsk to Chisinau by train takes about 30 hours. You seat at comfortable coupe and look out the window. From the beginning you see so habitual view of Belarus, than nature is a little being changed when you go through Ukraine. Then, you arrive in Moldova and see trees that you haven't seen before :)

Thank you, Nikita, for your card that brought to me these memoirs.

Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina

Postcard ID: AR-17917
Country: Argentina

Today I would like to write about one from the most interesting envelopes I ever received. This is my first card from Argentina. So it's 48th country in my statistics list.

I love cactuses and have some in my room. Selvina sent me whole Valley of cactuses! I really appreciate it :)

The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, 1,649 km north of Buenos Aires. It is about 155 km long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys (Valles Templados) in the south.

The name quebrada (literally "broken") translates as a deep valley or ravine. It receives its name from Humahuaca, a small city of 11,000 inhabitants. The Grande River (Río Grande), which is dry in winter, flows copiously through the Quebrada in the summer.

The region has always been a crossroads for economic, social and cultural communication. It has been populated for 10,000 years, since the settlement of the first hunter-gatherers, which is evidenced by substantial prehistoric remains. It was a caravan road for the Inca Empire in the 15th century, then an important link between the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and the Viceroyalty of Peru, as well as a stage for many battles of the Spanish War of Independence.

The Quebrada de Humahuaca was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2 July, 2003. 

However the most happiness I received from the additional envelope. This small envelope contained Argentinian Pesos! As I collect banknotes of different countries it was absolutely amazing surprise for me :)

Also now I have Argentinian stamps :)

Astrakhan, Russia. An evening melody

Postcard ID: RU-2434431
Country: Russia

This one more mystique card came to me this week. I like winter and like so calm evenings. Especially I like falling snow in the lamplight, however it's not about this card :)

I have never been in Astrakhan yet, but postcrossin can show me a little part if this city :)

Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on two banks of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level. 

Also Astrakhan is sister city of belarusian Brest city :)

A postal stamp is also really interesting:

Tahir Salahov is an Azerbaijani painter and draughtsman. Nowadays he lives in Moscow, where he is a professor and has a studio at the Moscow Art Institute. He has received numerous honors, including People's Artist of USSR, Russia and Azerbaijan, Hero of Socialist Labour, USSR State Prize (1968), First Secretary of the Union of Artists of the USSR (1973–1992), Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Arts, member of over 20 academies and other creative organizations throughout the world, including academies of art of France, Spain, Germany, Austria, etc.

IIHF World Championship

Minsk, the capital of Belarus, will host the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

Belarus got 75 votes in the race for hosting the 2014 IIHF World Championship at the Annual Congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation in Bern and beat the other candidates - Hungary (24 votes), Latvia (3) and Ukraine (3).

The 2014 World Ice Hockey Championship will be held on 9-25 May 2014.

In connection with this event Belpost released a new stamp! I already bought a list of stamps :)

Alley on Karl Marx avenue

Postcard ID: UA-956480
Country: Ukraine

I like night view postcards. It has something mystique and beautiful at the same time. I hope that Ukraine can calm down soon.

Dnepropetrovsk is Ukraine's fourth largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central part of the country. Dnipropetrovsk is the administrative centre of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

A vital industrial centre of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk was one of the key centres of the nuclear, arms, and space industries of the Soviet Union. In particular, it is home to the Yuzhmash, a major space and ballistic missile design bureau and manufacturer. Because of its military industry, Dnipropetrovsk was a closed city until the 1990s.

Dnipropetrovsk is a powerhouse of Ukraine's business and politics as the native city for many country's top-importance figures. 

Citadel Alba Julia

Postcard ID: RO-78957
Country: Romania

Great news! I received my first card from Romania! I have never visited this country yet, just pass through it in our way to Bulgaria from Moldova. 

The Alba Iulia citadel, designed by Italian architect Giovanni Morando Visconti, was built between 1716 and 1735, using the Vauban military architectural system—the largest of this kind in Southeastern Europe. The fortress is outstanding both for its architectural elements and for the beauty of its six gates, unique in European military structures. Doubtless the artists, sculptors Johann Koning, Johan Vischer and Giuseppe Tencalla, had been inspired by ancient mythology.

About 7.2 miles of ramparts made of brick and quarry stones form a seven-point star shape with seven bastions (Eugene of Savoia, St. Stefan, The Trinity, St. Michael, St. Carol, St. Capistrano and St. Elisabeth) guarded by six monumental gates.

The gates, valuable samples of early baroque style, have served as a model for 18th century Transylvanian architecture.

A stamp from the card is:

The Waidaibu Bridge

Postcard ID: KR-76584
Country: Korea (South)

Hurray! This is the first card from Korea coming to me :)
It shows the Waidubudu bridge in China. As sender wrote, the bridge is the first true steel truss bridge in China. I'm not a fan of postcards with bridges, but think that this one is wonderful! Hmm.. I think I should pay more attention to bridges :)

Also here is a stamp from postcard:

Cookies from Russia

Postcard ID: RU-2436511
Country: Russia

Only yesterday I wrote that no cards came to me this week and today I found even 3 cards! And all 3 are amazing!

This one is from my favourite themes - sweets. Cookies, chocolate and so on.. send me, send me :)

By the way on Valentine's day I made my home cookies with imagine of hearts on them. It was really tasty. I think I should make it more often ;)

Also here is a stamp issued specially for Olympic Games in Sochi!

Klavdiya Sergeyevna Boyarskikh was a Soviet cross country skier who competed in the 1960s. She trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society.

At the 1964 Winter Olympics, she won all three women's cross-country skiing events in the 5 km, 10 km, and 3x5 km. She also won three times at the Holmenkollen ski festival with two wins in 10 km (1965, 1966) and one win in the 5 km (1967). At the 1966 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Boyarskikh won three cross-country medals with golds in the 10 km and the 3x5 km and a silver in 5 km.

Wedding

Postcard ID: RU-2051023
Country: Russia

As there are no new cards this week, I continue make posts with cards from October. This one also has congratulations with our weeding. It's really nice that unknown people from all the world congratulated us!

Also today we received our printed wedding photos. So now I have real photo almost like on this card. Only there is no ocean. And I did not have bridal veil. And my wedding dress was shorter. And I had red shoes with heels. And I have had another bridegroom. Ohh, I had all is not the same like on the card, but this card is amazing anyway! :)

Chocolate Ideal by Alphonse Mucha

Postcard ID: DE-2749656
Country: Germany

This card was sent to me by Roland. I'm a little wonder as its way took 61 days. Usually postcards from Germany to Belarus take about 14 days.

I like chocolate and all related to chocolate and sweets. So thank you :)

Alfons Maria Mucha often known in English and French as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs.

And this is a part of Deutschland on the stamp:

From Children to Children

Postcard ID: NL-2093055
Country: Netherlands

As far as I understand from the backside of card (it's in Dutch), this postcard is made by children.

When I got it I already associated it with fairytale about little flowers with seven petals.

Girl Jenya got a magic flower. Seven of its petals are seven wishes that she can execute. The girl did not understand immediately that she got into her own hands, and the first six of her desires are fool and meaningless. Only the last petal makes a real good action.

However with the second sight I saw that there are only 6 petals :) 

Minimalistic cats

Postcard ID:  CZ-396679
Country: Czech Republic

To be honest I don't know if these are cats or dogs. It looks like dogs at the first sight, however I think that so long mustache is belonged to cats. Of course, I can be wrong :)

Happy Postcrossing!

Today I would like to show special Postcrossing stamps which our belpost released on 2 January this year.

I have seen 2 articles in postcrossing blog regarding this event :)

Also I receive from postcrossing.com the following message with stats:

"Did you know that on January 2nd, Belpochta launched a new Postcrossing themed stamp? Look for it in your nearest post office and start sending your postcards with this special stamp!"

I also have some maxi-cards, like this:

It is really important that our post shows interest to postcrossing. I just want belpost to not raise the prices so often.. However, this is another story.

Love note by E. Gapchinska

Postcard ID: UA-949357
Country: Ukraine

This week I receved some really amazing cards. And this is one from them.

Evgenia Gapchinska is a Ukranian illustrator. I also have some cards painted by her in my collection to send.
As sender wrote on the card "Illustration of Evgenia is already quality assurance". For me this phrase is also valid.

"Ukrposhta" has released a series of 12 stamps 'Zodiac Signs' with Evgenia Gapchinska's illustrations in 2008 year.
However on this card I see another stamps and it's also beautiful:

Tea with jam by Sasha Salmina

Postcard ID: RU-2404051
Country: Russia

I have some cards similar to this one in my favourits. So this card is beautiful and awesome :)

I like cards with jam, with tea, especially during winter time. And I really like painted cards :)

So thanks to Evgenia for my positive emotions!

The backside contains the great quotation "The world is too amazing to sit without work".

Stamps from this card are also amazing:

Rotunda on Levashovskij Boulevard in Petrozavodsk

Postcard ID: RU-2399935
Country: Russia

This is amazing and calm view from Petrozavodsk, Russia. The rotunda is located on the beach of Onega lake.

As far as I understand there was a gazebo (pavilion), the traditional place of citizens, until the ends of 1920th. Then, in 1994 arbour rotunda was rebuilt by architect N. Ovchinnikov. And we can see this place on the card :)

Automate, 1927 by Edward Hopper

Postcard ID: US-2607714
Country: USA

I think I should be ashamed as I haven't known about Edward Hopper before. However here we can see magic influence of postcrossing - it helps to discover the world around us :)

Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While he was most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Both in his urban and rural scenes, his spare and finely calculated renderings reflected his personal vision of modern American life.

Jihomarovsky region - Blansko, Czech Republic

Postcard ID: CZ-327737
Country: Czech Republic

Here is a nice card came to me from Blansko. Flags from this card are flags of Czech cities.

Blansko is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Blansko is the biggest town in Blansko District.

Blansko was mentioned first time as a castle in 1136, while a town began to develop near by 1277. After 1766 it belonged to the Salm family, which patronized many artisans and scientists, including Josef Dobrovský.

Blansko today has many factories, including chemical and construction plants. The town is notable for the proximity of the Moravian Karst.

Here are the stamps from card:

Holiday Beach, China

Postcard ID: CN-1071817
Country: China

As a sender did not say anything about postcard, I suppose that this Beach is somewhere in China :)
When I see postcards or photos like this one I think that I don't like city beaches :)  so many people!
I like swimming however I don't like when someone bothers me.

And I think that China has so interesting stamps :)

Stamps - Belarusian cartoons

In addition to my posts about cards received I'd like to save here information about Belarusian stamps which I use.

This year Belpost issued 2 types of stamps which I can use for postcrossing. However in this post I want to show my favourite stamps issued last year:

National Film Studio "Belarusfilm" is one of the leading studios in Eastern Europe with a complete production cycle . It was founded  in 1924 ."Belarusfilm"  is the constant participant of many international film festivals.  

A movie "Pilipko" (1st column, 3rd stamp) by  Tatiana Kublitskaya  was awarded with the highest award of the festival "Golden Slipper" in the nomination "Best Animated Film" at the 53rd International Film Festival of Films for Children and Youth in Zlin (Czech Republic, 2013). 

Elena Pyatkevich with her movie "Snow White and Alotsvetik" (2st column, 3rd stamp) won the Master Award at the XVI International Festival of Animation Films "Animajevka 2013" (Mogilev, Belarus) . 

Glücksburg Castle

Postcard ID: DE-2461474
Country: Germany

Hurray! It's my first maxicard in this blog :)

it was sent to me in October before my wedding, so sender recommended this place for our ceremony :)

I think that this is really beautifule and calm place.

Glücksburg Castle is a castle (Schloss) in the town of Glücksburg, Germany. It is one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe. It is the seat of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and was also used by the Danish kings. Situated on the Flensburg Fjord the castle is now a museum owned by a foundation, and is no longer inhabited by the ducal family. Its board of directors is chaired by Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein, the current titular duke and head of the House of Glücksburg and House of Oldenburg.

The card was sent to me in envelope, so here is its stamp:

Designer's X-Ray

Postcard ID: TW-1067294
Country: Taiwan

I like funny cards. This card is funny and kind :)

The sender is also nice and funny. She likes Taiwan (and recommends to visit it), listening to music and playing the bass guitar :) 

Prague, Czech Republic

Postcard ID: CZ-396556
Country: Czech Republic

This card is named on the backside like Prague. The Vltava river. Charles Bridge. The Prague castle.

However for me this is one from the most beautiful city in the world. I love this place with all my heart and to be honest, I'd like to live there.

When I see on this card I remember October 2010 when i visited Czech Republic. I was walking along this bridge, floating on a boat on the Vltava river and admired this castle. I can talk about Czech Republic and Prague endlessly, however I strongly recommend just visit this place to understand that there are no words to describe beauty of Prague :)

And look on these stamps! My thanks to Hana for this great emotions which your card gave to me :)

Funny Pigs

Postcard ID: NL-2160924
Country: Netherlands

A sender said that he tried to find postcard with butterflies, but did not have them... It's ok, I like almost all cards :) especially if this is funny card and it contains message more than Happy Postcrossing!

During my childhood I spent every summer time at the village with my grandparents. They have a yard with a doghouse. Of course, dog lived there. However sometimes I saw that chicken came in this doghouse =) dogs, chicken, pigs.. doesn't matter :)

Ortaköy, Turkey

Postcard ID: TR-165380
Country: Turkey

This card was sent to me by Denis from Turkey. I've never been there, however this place looks so colourful and positive :)
If I remember correctly I saw mentions of Ortakoy during reading of "Museum of Innocence" by Orhan Pamuk.

Ortaköy is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus.

Ortaköy was a cosmopolitan area during the Ottoman era and the first decades of the Turkish Republic, with communities of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews. Today the neighbourhood still hosts many different religious (Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, and other Christian) structures. It is also a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, with its art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants.

Here is an interesting Turkish stamp:

Bến Thành Market (1925), Vietnam

Postcard ID: SG-128291
Country: Singapore

I'm not a fan of black and white cards, however I think that it has its own charm. To receive card like this is like to touch something old, ancient and enigmatic.

 Bến Thành Market is a large marketplace in central Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam in District 1. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and one of symbols of Hồ Chí Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.

The market developed from informal markets created by early 17th century street vendors gathering together near the Saigon River. The market was formally established by the French colonial powers after taking over the Gia Định citadel in 1859 (see Citadel of Saigon). This market was destroyed by fire in 1870 and rebuilt to become Saigon's largest market. In 1912 the market was moved to a new building and called the New Bến Thành Market to distinguish over its predecessor. The building was renovated in 1985.

This is the first card from Singapore in this blog, so here is the first nice stamp:

Greetings from St. Petersburg

Postcard ID: RU-2256569
Country: Russia

This is a nice card, huh? It's just greetings from early 20th c.

I like St. Petersburg. It has its own cultural atmosphere. I visited this city almost 2 years ago, when there was "white nights". Since I have wanted to return there again. By the way, I bought there a nice black and white set of postcards!

So, I like St. Petersburg and cards came to me from this city and with views of this city:)

Temple Bar, Dublin

Postcard ID: LT-344478
Country: Lithuania

It's a little strange to receive card with Irish Pabs from Lithuania :) However, it's already interesting to know something new.

Temple Bar is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. Unlike the areas surrounding it, Temple Bar has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is promoted as "Dublin's cultural quarter" and has a lively nightlife that is popular with tourists.

The area is the location of many Irish cultural institutions, including the Irish Photography Centre (incorporating the Dublin Institute of Photography, the National Photographic Archives and the Gallery of Photography), the Ark Children's Cultural Centre, the Irish Film Institute, incorporating the Irish Film Archive, the Temple Bar Music Centre, the Arthouse Multimedia Centre, Temple Bar Gallery and Studio, the Project Arts Centre, the Gaiety School of Acting, IBAT College Dublin, as well as the Irish Stock Exchange and the Central Bank of Ireland.

After dark, the area is a major centre for nightlife, with many tourist-focused nightclubs, restaurants and bars. Pubs in the area include The Porterhouse, the Oliver St. John Gogarty, the Turk's Head, the Temple Bar, Czech Inn (in the former Isolde's Tower), the Quays Bar, the Foggy Dew and the Purty Kitchen (formerly Bad Bobs).

This is the stamp:

Niagara Falls

Postcard ID: CA-403122
Country: Canada

This card is one from my favourites coming to me this January. I think that this view as absolutely amazing and incredible. Sometimes I revert this card head over heels and imagine that this is polar lights :)

As wrote on the backside "the Falls and landscape are awash in light every night of the year".

Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. 

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide.

I would like to see this beauty with my own eyes :)

Also this card has nice stickers...:

...and nice Christmas stamp: